I raise my voice to meet hers. “You sure as shit aren’t an adult. You’re a stupid kid who thinks running way like her mother did will solve all her problems.” The thought of not being there, of someone hurting her, is enough to keep me from being able to see straight. “You’re not going all the way to Indiana where I can’t protect you. Where I’ll never even fucking see you.”

“Why do you have to be like this?” I don’t answer her rhetorical question. Instead, I stare down at her, arms crossed and jaw set. “Rob and Mandy are fine with me going. Even Jessie wants me to go.”

I jab a finger into my chest. “And it doesn’t matter what I want? I’m your brother.” Your family. “All I’ve ever wanted to do is protect you. How the hell am I supposed to do that two thousand miles away, huh?”

“I don’t need protecting!”

“You have no idea the shit that goes down out there. Some guy hurts you, you get scared, what are you going to do?” I stalk toward her, cornering her in the small kitchen.

“I’ll handle it.” Her voice is fragile, cracking at the edges.

“How?” My hands land on her shoulders, I squeeze hard and try to shake some sense into her. “Show me. Some asshole puts his hands on you, how you going to handle it?”

Her breath comes in quick, panicked breaths. She struggles against my grip, pulling away. I don’t let her. Frustration and fury make her eyes catch fire. They’re brimming with tears when she finally screams, “Devin, let me go!”

I drop my hands and step away. She’s sniffing to hold back her sobs, her chest rising and falling in jerky gasps. I scared her. She’s never been scared of me before. My heart shatters in my chest. I reach for her.

She slaps away my hand, pulling her shoulders straight. “Don’t touch me,” she screeches.

“Becs, I’m sor—”

“You’re a bully. Just like him.” Her voice is shaky.

I’ve broken a piece of her. I see it when her eyes find mine. All I’ve ever wanted to do is protect her, but I’m the one who hurt her. And I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t know if I even can.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jessie

I pull back the sleeves of my unicorn onesie—the official uniform for movie night at the Kappa house—and shove a handful of popcorn into my mouth. I’m curled up on the couch, my phone in my pocket in case Devin decides to learn how to text. I rub the hummingbird pendant around my neck with my non-popcorn hand.